Investigators said the three men allegedly acted as brokers in disposing the cars.

"We don't know if they actually handled the cars, but detectives are working to identify the people who took the vehicles from the (dealers') lots," said Bradford.

At least 30 vehicles had been recovered throughout Chicago's suburbs by Friday afternoon and more were expected to be located in the city during the weekend, Bradford said.

Investigators said the vehicles were driven off dealers' lots after their keys were stolen, often from a salesman's desk.

"This operation goes back to 1991 and involves a very large number of vehicles," said Bradford.

Bradford described the thefts as a retagging operation that involved altering vehicle identification numbers and obtaining new registration documents before selling them for as little as one-fifth or less of their true value.

Investigators are also talking to a woman from whom a car was confiscated this week at her Villa Park house. Two other cars have been recovered based on information found in the house, police said. She has not been charged nor has another woman who reportedly had possession of a stolen car.

One of the women is a former Lombard police officer who joined the department in January 1989 and resigned in April the same year. Lombard officials would not say why the woman resigned.

The alleged auto theft ring was discovered on Nov. 7 by several Elmhurst officers who reported seeing five men in four vehicles exchange money and keys after inspecting a 1996 Chevrolet Suburban in a parking lot at North Avenue and Illinois Highway 83, said Bradford.

A loaded revolver was found in one of the cars, along with evidence that a vehicle identification tag had been counterfeited on the Suburban, he said.

Investigators said the cars were offered to buyers at a fraction of their value and there appears to have been no shortage of willing buyers.

"The marketing involved people being approached and offered expensive cars for between $4,000 and $7,000," Bradford said.

Along with Elmhurst and Chicago, the investigation involved a special DuPage County auto-theft unit, the Illinois State Police and the Illinois secretary of state's police.

Bradford said Chicago police were aware of the theft ring for some time and had formed a task force to address it when Elmhurst came upon the deal, prompting an exchange of information.